Last summer after church, I went out to our backyard to set up a sprinkler on the lawn. I was headed back to the house, when a board that was lying on the ground caught the hem of my pants, throwing me face first onto the concrete.
I jumped to my feet and said firmly and aloud that no accident had occurred. My vision was blurry, and my nose was bleeding and seemed to be damaged, but I continued to know that I was “not hurt” and to “understand the reason why,” to quote from Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (p. 397). That statement follows several passages that describe the impossibility of accidents being part of God’s plan for us.
When I went into the house, my family expressed a great deal of concern, but I told them I was all right. I asked my husband to call a Christian Science practitioner to pray for me, while I went into the bathroom to clean up. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. The image was very frightening, but I affirmed out loud that what I saw wasn’t really “me.” In other words, I’m spiritual, unfallen, made perfect and whole by God in every way.
The practitioner gave me some citations from Science and Health to work with. He also reminded me that I am “structured by Truth and Love.” Similar wording is found in the definition of Church in Science and Health on page 583. My youngest daughter gave me a copy of the book opened to the page the practitioner had given me. There was an urgency in my daughter’s demeanor. I could see she wanted me to “get the truth” as soon as possible! It was very touching, and I felt so loved.
One of the citations the practitioner shared was: “Contending for the evidence or indulging the demands of sin, disease, or death, we virtually contend against the control of Mind over body, and deny the power of Mind to heal. This false method is as though the defendant should argue for the plaintiff in favor of a decision which the defendant knows will be turned against himself” (Science and Health, p. 380).
I knew it would be useful to advocate, or “argue,” only for health and wholeness, and not support the false premise that pain was in control. I decided then and there that every time the body presumed to “speak” to me, I would contend against the false evidence and hold tightly to any truth that came to me. This was extremely effective in keeping my thought centered on God.
Within a short time, the nosebleed stopped and the swelling on my nose was gone. I assured my family that they could go ahead with an outing we had been planning for several days, and that I would use the quiet time to pray for myself.
After the family left, I sat down to study and pray, and talked with the practitioner again. I told him that when the board caught my leg, it felt as though someone had reached up and grabbed me, pulling me down very hard. He told me to pray for church and to handle the beliefs of personal sense, hatred, malice, and hatred of the truth—to address them and see their powerlessness. That seemed a tall order, but I understood the necessity to do so and I obeyed.
I firmly held to the truths I was being given from God, and within about half an hour of deeper prayer, I was able to get up and walk around, albeit with a slight limp. We were expecting company for a barbecue the next day, so I felt it was right to go ahead and make some preparations. There was still a great deal of pain throughout my body, but I could feel God’s care so tangibly that I was able to keep moving forward with joy.
I’ve learned that we can talk to God just as we talk to a friend, so that night, after going to bed, I affirmed that I knew God was right there with me, keeping me safe—loving, protecting, and nurturing me, and maintaining my innocence and perfection. Again, I felt His caring presence, and the fear dissolved very quickly. Every time the body complained, I said, “No!” and I would declare a truth to counter the lie that I could suffer. I felt at peace and, around 2:00 a.m., fell gently to sleep.
As I was combing my hair the next morning, I noticed that what I saw in the mirror looked worse. However, it was much easier to walk and my vision was normal again, so I rejoiced in that progress. When I called the practitioner and told him I was fearful of what others might think—that the thoughts of others could harm me—he said that I had dominion over my own thoughts, so I had dominion over my own experience. Of course! That completely handled any fear, and I learned a valuable and lasting lesson. Mrs. Eddy wrote: “In reality there is no mortal mind, and consequently no transference of mortal thought and will-power. Life and being are of God” (Science and Health, p. 103).
Our family went ahead with barbecue plans for Independence Day, which it truly was—independence from evil of any kind! Healing was taking place quickly, and my family could see it, too. On the second night after the fall, a large cut on my nose had healed, and my husband commented that it had happened really fast. I said, “I would expect nothing less.” The healing of pain, fear, and the most alarming aftereffects took place in under three days. For the next couple of days, there were still some marks and bruises, but they faded and disappeared permanently, too.
I have to say that during this time, staying with the truth wasn’t always easy. But with persistence and a determination to serve only God, Truth, I was confident that there would be a complete healing. And there was. I know from decades of relying on God through Christian Science that He never has, and never will, let us down.
Springfield, Oregon, US
